Piano-protecting pad.



lPATHNTED NOV. l2, 1907.

K. M. KEOWBN. PIANO PROTECTING PAD. APPLIoA'nol nun nn.1a.19o1.

T" if lwww@ W/TNESSES ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES KATHERINE M. KEOWEN, OFNEW YORK, N. Y.

PIANO-PROTECTING PAD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. l2, 1907.

Application filed March 18. 1907. Serial No. 363,090.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that Il KATHERINE M. KEOWEN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in thecounty of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and ImprovedPiano-Protecting Pad, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to certain improvements in devices adapted to beused in connection with pianos or other similar instruments to protectthe front panel from being accidentally marred or damaged by the shoesof the player; and the object of the invention is to Aconstruct a devicecompact and complete in itself which may be very readily and easilyapplied or removed and which does not mar or injure in any way the pianoon which it is used.

The device is durable in its nature and may be made of any ornamentaldesign to add to the appearance of the instrument. It may be readilyapplied without necessitating the removal of the front panel, and bymeans of the metal clips engaged, the thickness or size of this panel isrendered entirely immaterial. By reason of the heavy padding or waddinginvolved in the construction, a very effective protection is affordedeven though the device in itself is very light in weight. No intricatemechanism is required for fastening the pad in place, as the engagementof the pad with the pedals serves to prevent any lateral movement of theformer.

The invention consists in certain features of construction andcombination of parts, all of which will be fully set forth hereinafterand particularly pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures, and in which Figure l is a frontelevation of one form of my improved pad as employed in connection witha piano, the latter being shown in dotted lines; Fig. 2 is a centralvertical section; and Fig. 3 is a sectional detail showing the method ofsecuring the pad to the front panel of the instrument.

My improved pad is preferably formed of a suitable supporting sheet ofcardboard, papier macht", or other stiff but somewhat resilientmaterial, and to both sides thereof I provide a suitable coveringseparated therefrom by padding material and adapted to present anornamental appearance and prevent blows delivered to the front of thepad from injuring in any way the portion of the piano in contact withthe back of the pad. In the drawings I have illustrated the supportingpad as comprising a substantially rectangular sheet 10 of a heightsubstantially equal to the distance from the floor to the top ofthefront panel o the piano and of a length substantially equal to itsheight. The sheet is provided i witha rectangular recess l1 centrallydisposed along l the lower edge-and of a width and height adapted toreceive the pedals of the piano and permit free action thereof. In orderto conceal the supporting body l0, produce an artistic appearance andsecure the pad in place, I provide a iront covering sheet l2 of fabric.leather, imitation leather, or the like. This sheet is preferably of asize substantially equal to the size of the supporting body 10 andbefore being applied thereto is stamped by a suitable die to produce anornamental design thereon. Preferably the stamping serves to form awreath or other like design about the edges of the sheet and producesmerely intersecting lines in the main body of the sheet serving tolocate the buttons employed to hold the padding in place. The marginalportions of the covering sheet are securely pasted or glued'to thesupporting sheet, and the central or body portion of the covering l2 isseparated from the supporting sheet by a suitable padding 13. Thispadding is first placed upon the center portion of the supporting sheetand the marginal edges of the covering are secured in place. The centralor body portion of the covering is then secured to the supporting sheetby means of l suitable upholstering buttons 14 located at the indicatedpoints on the covering. These buttons serve to hold the padding 13 inplace and prevent it from becoming dislocated or sliding toward thelower edge of the pad. The rear side of the pad is then covered by alayer l5 of padding material and this is secured in place by a backcovering sheet 16. The front covering sheet is of such a material as topresent an ornamental appearance, such, for instance, as plush, satin,or the like, while the back covering sheet 16 is of such a soft materialthat it cannot scratch or otherwise injure the front panel of the pianoin contact with which the pad normally lies.

The pad is preferably held in place by clips l5a formed of a thin strip16 of flexible sheet metal and inclosed withina covering 17 of leather,cloth, or the like. One end of each clip is rigidly secured to the padand the other end extends upward therefrom. The metal strip I6 isannealed so that it may be bent to any shape desired, and in applyingthe pad to the piano this strip is bent to an inverted U-shape as shownin Figs. 2 and 3 and serves to inclose the upper end of the iront panelI8 of the instrument. The lower edge of the pad normally rests upon thefioor and lateral movement is prevented by the engagement of the padwith the pedals or a part of the instrument adjacent thereto.

The pad forms a positive protection for all parts of the woodwork of thepiano adjacent the pedals, and effectively and positively prevents thesame from being injured. No separate -mechanism is necessary to hold thepad in place, and thus it is evident that it may be applied to any pianoand after having been removed therefrom leaves no clips, fasteners orother devices which mar the appearance of the piano and indicate that apad has been employed.

It is evident that the ornamental border portion of the covering may beof a separate piece of material from the padded body portion, ifdesired, or the ornamental portion may be formed With its inner edgesoverlapping the edges of the padded portion to hold the latter in place.

substantially equal to the front panel of the piano, and

having a recess at its lower edge adapted to receive the pedals of thepiano, and annealed sheet metal clips, each having one end thereofrigidly secured to the upper edge of the sheet and having the oppositeend thereof adapted to engage with the piano adjacent the upper edge ofthe front panel thereof, said clips being readily bent to facilitatetheir use in connection With pianos of diierent forms.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subcribing Witnesses.

KATHERINE M. KEOWEN. Witnesses JOSEPH MACONKEY, v JOHN W. HALL.

